kitts



(No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 1.

0. W. KITTS. FRUIT'DRIER.

.No. 345,701. Patented July 20, 1886.

WITNESSES 3 INVENTOR {No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

0. w. KITTS. FRUIT DRIER.

No. 345,701. Patented July 20, 1886.

* WITNESSES INVENTOR u PETERS. FholoLRhagraplwr. Washington, D. c.

UNITED STATES CHARLES WARREN KITTS, OF GRASS VALLEY, CALIFORNIA.

FRUIT- DRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 345,701, dated July20,1886. Application filed April 22, 1884. Serial No. 128,827. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES WARREN KITTs, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the town of Grass Valley, in the county of Nevadaand State of California, have invented a new and useful Machine forEvaporating, Preserving, and Drying Fruits, Vegetables, and Meats, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in fruit and vegetable preservingmachines having removable screens or drying-trays,whereon is placedthematerial to be treated,through and around which hot air iscirculated, thereby changing the water contained in the material treatedto vapor and carrying the same off.

The objects of my invention are to provide an apparatus substantial,easy, and cheap in construction, simple and effective in operation,durable, and wherein the value of fuel may be utilized to the utmost andthe material treated subjected to a uniform degree of heat, and whereinall portions of the drying-chamber will be of equal temperature, and thecurrent of heated air or draft will be strong, thereby adding greatly tothe capacity of the machine. I attain these objects by the mechanismillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters ofreference indicate like parts.

Figure 1 is a perspective view 'of the machine complete, with six framesor trays in place and six openings above, in which the trays or framesare to be inserted. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of Fig. 1through line H H. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the fuel chamber orfurnace, with the escape fiues for the smoke, forming the air-heatingapparatus. Fig. 4. is a partial view of crosssection of drying-casethrough line I I, showing position of drying frames or trays and themanner they are supported at back edge. Fig. 5 is a perspective view ofdrying-frame. Figs. 6 and 7 show means of guiding to place andsupporting drying trays or frames when in drying-chamber. Fig. 8 showsmanner of construction of the walls and other exterior parts of thedrying-case.

The construction of my improved drierchamber, heater, trays, and thearrangement thereof, are as follows: The furnace A, Figs. 2 and 3, ispreferably made of cast or wrought iron in the manner and form shown indrawings, with either cast-iron or open bottom in the same. Three orfour inches above the bottom are placed grate-bars 11, upon which toplace the fuel, the part above grates forming fuel chamber and thatbelow forming an ashpit. The furnace and ash-pit are provided With doors0 d, Fig. 1. The back of the furnace is so constructed as to have anumber of holes, ee, Fig. 8, with horizontal projecting lips, like astove-pipe hole. On these lips, around the holes 6 6, will be slippedthe horizontal pipes B, made .of sheet-iron, which may be made heaviestnear the furnace, and getting lighter as theyextend away therefrom. Ihave, however, shown in the drawings pipes of uniform thickness, asordinarily such pipes will answer my purpose. The pipes are open at bothends, which, in any number desired, shall at their other ends fit onsimilar lips around similar holes in a plate forming the front side ofthe chamber D, or they may be built in the brick-work thereof. From thechamber D a Smokestack, E, arises, with a damper, E, in it to govern thedraft.-

The furnace Ahas near its front end, at the bottom edge, opening intothe front end of the ash pit, dampers or ventilators f, through whichthe supply of air to support combustion is admitted by dampers operatedby handles projecting through the brick-work. (Marked 9 s- The furnaceand lines, as shown in Fig. 3, are inclosed in a brick casing, F, (shownin Figs. 1 and 2,) leaving a space or hot air chamber, F, between thefurnace and does and the Walls of the brick casing, except that at therear end of furnace A. The bridge supporting the top of the brick casingF rests on top of furnace at h, thereby forming a support; andpreventing the air from rushing up into the drying-case G without firstencircling the furnace A. The front end of furnace A is even with frontend of brick casing F, which is built up close about the furnace A, asshown in Fig. 1.

Thechamber D is set a little distant from the rear end of brick casingF, leaving an aperture, '5, Figs. 1 and 2, through which the air travelsinto the casing F, and thence along and among the wrought-iron flues B,striking the rear end of furnace A. Thence a portion goes forward andenters valves or dampers f, to support combustion in the furnace A, andthe balance ascends up over the furnace A and enters dryingchamber inthe case G.

Above the furnace A, I have arranged valves j, in Figs. 1 and 2, throughwhich cool air may be admitted to temper the heated air ascending intothe drying-chamber in case G.

At the bottom of the drying chamber is a sliding deflector, k, Fig. 2,to prevent the heated air from impinging too directly or stronglyagainst the material to be dried. This deflector may rest on ledges atfront and back of case, and thus be placed in any position desired. Ileave a vacant space, I, in drying-chamber, below lowermost tray, toallow the heated air space to circulate to make degree of heat uniform.One side of the lowermost tray is set nearly or quite against the sideof the drying-case, (right side in drawings.)

if in practice, to secure uniform results, it is necessary, a smallspace may be left between edge of first tray and side of dryingchamber.This would insure uniform draft under lowermost tray. Each succeedingtray is placed either a little farther to the right or left, accordingto which side the lowest tray is set against, thus progressing until theupper tray rests against the side of the dryingcase opposite the one theside of the lowermost tray rested against, the arrangement of the traysbeing shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in which is shown a vertical series ofhorizontal trays arranged in different vertical planes, each tray(except the bottom one) overlapping that just below it. By thisarrangement the heated air is readily caught and directed through thetrays. By this arrangement of the trays the greatest freedom fromobstruction to the passage of the heated air will exist where the degreeof heat throughout the dryingchamber will be nearly uniform, and whereeach tray-load of material to be dried will have its own independentproportion of new, dry, heated air.

In the event only a small number of the trays are in use, I haveprovided the dampers n and 0, which can be used to cause all the heatedair to pass through the upper onethird or two-thirds of the series oftrays. I have likewise provided a damper, p, on the flue q,to regulatethe escape of the heated and moisture-ladened air.

By means of the above-described apparatus I obtain a heating and dryingmachine which is very simple and easy of construction, durabio andeffective without machinery, accomplishing an eccelerated draft of airthrough the material to be dried, and likewise obtaining the fullheating capacity of the fuel consumed,and not discharging the smoke andvapors of combustion as hot as the air contained in drying-chamber,which is to be avoided.

I first direct the air to be heated on the coolest part of the tubes orflues B through the aperture t. Thence the air passes along inside thehot-air chamber F and about the fiues B, continually striking hotterportions; thence against the rear end of the furnace A, around the sidesand over the top of which the air is compelled to pass by reason of thebridgewall h, and the current caused by the air entering the chamber offurnace, A through the dampersf. From around the furnace the air ascendsinto the drying-chamber G, being tempered by the admission of cold airthrough valves j, if necessary, fills the space under and at the side ofthe trays, and thence passes up through and between the trays to theexitflue q, thereby causing a rapid circulation of heated air,with avery uniform degree of heat, throughout the drying-chamber, andconsequently a rapid evaporation of water contained in the material tobe dried.

Fig. 5 shows the construction of the drying frame or tray. At bothinside corners on the under side are placed blocks or feet 1'. Thesefeet are to raise the tray-frame, so when slid in it will not strike thefruit on the one below, and will raise the hind cross-piece, so it willstrike on the inclined points of supports W and Z. (Shown in Figs. 6 and7.) On the front edge of the tray-frame is fastened a piece at rightangles with frame. (Designated S.) This piece is to be slightly longerand wider than the slot-openings u in front of drying-case. \Vhen thetray is inserted in the orifice, the feet 0' will rest on the sides ofthe frame below. \Vhen pushed in, the back edge will strike on theinclined parts of the supports W Z, which are fastened on the back or inback corners of drying-case. On being pushed farther the frame runs upon the level surface of support W or Z and rests there, not thentouching tray below. The piece S completely covers the orifice u, thussaving a door. The knob t serves to afford a grip to handle tray by. Thesupports W and Z are secured to the inner rear wall of the dryingchamber. having plain upper faces on which the trays rest, and inclinedfronts that guide the trays into position.

From front to back of chamber G at the lowermost edge of lowest opening,w, (there being one for each tray,) there is placed at either edge ofopening a cross-piece, V, for the first tray to run in on, all the othertrays having the frame of the tray next below to rest on, the foot 1'projecting on one side being to reach over and rest on the tray below,which it might not otherwise do on account of the trays not beingdirectly one above the other. The distance between the extremities ofthe feet 1' should of course not be as great as the length of the frontpiece, S.

The walls, top, and flue q of the drying-case G are preferably made ofwood paneled, as shown in Fig. 8. This saves lumber and labor, andallows for the alternate shrinking and swelling of the material.

They consist of brackets Having thus described my invention,what Iclaim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

l. The combination, substantially as set forth, of the drying-chamber,the furnace located under the drying-chamber, the smokestack,the finesleading from the furnace to the smoke-stack, and the casing or hot-airchamber inclosing the furnace and flues, said casing having an inlet atits outer end for-supplying all the heated air that is admitted to thedrying-chamber, and a communication leading from the hot-air chamber tothe dryingchamber.

2. The combination, substantially as set forth, ofthe drying-chamber,the furnace,the smoke-stack, the fines leading from the furnace to thesn1oke-stack,and the hot-air chamber inclosing both the dues andfurnace, said chamber having an air-inlet at its outer end, I

and a communication, f, between the hot-air chamber and ash-pot of thefurnace, whereby hot air is supplied to the fire, and a communicationbetween the hot air chamber and the drying-chamber.

3. The combination, substantially as set forth, of the drying-chamber,the furnace located under the drying-chamber, the smokestack,the finesleading from the furnace to the smoke stack, and the casing or hot-airchamber inclosfng the furnace and fines,said casing having an inlet atits outer end for supplying all the heated air that is admitted to thedrying-chamber, a communication leading from the hot-air chamber to thedrying chamber,

and the normally-closed valves for admitting cool air to thedrying-chamber to reduce the temperature.

4. The combination of the furnace,the hotforth, of the drying-chamber,its casing having overlapping tray-openings, and a vertical series oftrays arranged horizontally in the drying-chamber in different verticalplanes,so that each successive tray overlaps on one side the tray justbelow it, and each tray being independently removable throngh thecasing.

6. The herein-described tray, consisting of the combination,substantially as set forth, of

the main frame,the fro ut piece, S, and the feet 7', that projectsidewise from the rear end of the tray.

7. The combination, substantially as set forth, of the drying-chamber,atray,a bracket attached to the rear Wall of the chamber that supportsthe tray at its rear end,said bracket having a level upper surface andan inclined front to guide the tray into position.

CHARLES WARREN 'KITTS.

a WVitnesses:

JOHN CAMMET, A. L. OooMBs.

